Maple Leafs’ Max Domi, Habs’ Kaiden Guhle trade vicious blows in spirited tilt in retaliation for hit on John Tavares

Toronto Maple Leafs center Max Domi and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle headlined a spirited bout in which both combatants traded vicious blows during the second period of the Leafs-Habs Saturday night tilt at Scotiabank Arena.

Domi and Guhle each got several haymakers in before falling to the ice. After some brief wrestling on the ice, the officials stepped in to separate the pugilists. Here’s a look at the fireworks:

It’s hard to call a clear winner in this bout. Guhle gets an edge, but Max Domi looks like the winner by split decision.

The hit stemmed from Domi’s retaliation to Guhle’s thunderous hit on Leafs veteran forward John Tavares. Let’s look at the hit:

The open ice hit on Tavares drew an immediate reaction from Max Domi who didn’t hesitate to take on Guhle. Domi’s grit and toughness resemble that of his father, former Leafs’ enforcer Tie Domi.

Domi and Guhle got the gate for fighting, plus Domi got an additional two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Max Domi and Toronto Maple Leafs get the best of Canadiens

Max Domi and the Toronto Maple Leafs pulled out a thrilling 1-0 win in overtime against the Canadiens. The game was a relatively lopsided affair with the Leafs outshooting the Canadiens 35-15. Nevertheless, the Canadiens hung tough, forcing the game to overtime.

The Leafs were unable to beat Jakub Dobes in regulation. So, the game ended scoreless in regulation, meaning that 3-on-3 overtime was needed to settle the final score.

In overtime, Mitch Marner played the part of the hero, notching his 26th of the season 36 seconds into the extra period.

Let’s look at the goal:

The play started with a huge save from Anthony Stolarz on Habs’ captain Nick Suzuki. That save allowed the Leafs to come back the other way. Three forwards joined the rush, with William Nylander dishing the puck to Marner for the game-winner.

For Marner, the goal was his 98th point of the season. It moved him one step closer to his first 100-point season, after having come close on two other opportunities.

With the win, the Leafs have now opened up a four-point lead on the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers atop the Atlantic Division.

The Leafs will face off against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday evening at the PNC Arena. The Leafs will be playing in back-to-back games as their regular season winds down. A win on Sunday will ensure the Leafs take the Atlantic Division.

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Nestor is an NHL and MLB writer at Sportskeeda with over 10 years of experience. Growing up in Toronto, he became an avid Maple Leafs and Blue Jays fan, but also admires the New York Islanders and Los Angeles Dodgers for their dominance in the 80s. Holding an Economics and Education major, Nestor’s passion for writing and sporting events led him to take up reporting about the sport professionally.

Nestor credits the Leafs’ playoff runs in the early ’90s as having a lasting impact on him. His favorite players are Doug Gilmour and Mike Bossy, as he feels they were tough, talented leaders, while Pat Burns is his favorite coach of all time for always preaching a fast-paced game.

Growing up in Canada, it was natural for Nestor to become interested in ice hockey and he played Minor Hockey as a teenager, which has given him a unique perspective on the sport. Nestor has mastered the art of how to best present facts and he also has a knack for knowing which sources can be trusted, and which can’t for stories.

When he is not writing about Canada’s national passion, Nestor enjoys running and hiking.

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Edited by Nestor Quixtan